Bottle packing method and means



May 26, 1936.

J. l.. FERGUSON BOTTLE PACKING METHOD AND MEANS Filed March YQ 1932' N l'/K ZW -f/ /M Patented May 26, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,042,446 t BOTTLE PACKING METHOD AND MEANS John L. FergusonfJoliet, Ill., assigner toJQL. Ferguson Company, Joliet, Ill., a corporation of Ulllinois Application Marcin, 1932,'seria1 No. 597,199 comme.y (ci, 20s-65) This invention relates to a method of packing bottles, -or similar frangible articles, --in containers for shipment, and further relates to `the means whereby the'improved `I n'etho'd is practiced. C It has recently become thevogue to pack bottles in containers of paper, solid fiber, Icorrugated board or similar material, the bottles being placed on their sides in such containers.

thus packed are separated from each 'other byV a partition of material similar to that used for the container and may comprise pieces o1' such material used as cushioning materialand extending between the bottles and/or across the tops thereof to hold the same in position and at the same time to prevent the bottles from contacting with each other and being thereby broken during shipment or handling. The use ofsuch partitions is extremely costly when it is realized that millions l of cases a year are so packed', and it is. the object of the hereinafter-described invention to provide a greatly improved methodof packing bottles i in the same position but which will result in a marked saving in the amountof material used.

The hereinafter-described method permits much more rapid packing of the bottles and at the same. time results in -a markeddecrease in the amount of material which is necessary to use in order to obtain the same protection for the articles. Such method furthermore possesses several other marked advantages which will be particularly referred to as this description proceeds. The method of packing comprehended in the hereinafter-describedinvention, the means for Y practicing such method Vand the various advantages resident therein will be best understood from a consideration of the following description and accompanying drawing in' connection with which said other advantages of the method and 40 means for practicing'the same will be apparent. The accompanying drawing illustrates the in` vention as utilized in the packing of bottles in one or more layers in a iiat container composedof corrugated paper. vAt thel outset, however, it

should be understood that the'invention is not limited to the packing of the bottles or other artig cles of the shape shown or in a container of the` particular material indicated. However, the said invention has found one' very advantageous adaptation in connection'with suchjproducts. For instance, the various'- manufacturers of beverages have lately found it advisable to pack their' bottled goods in'whatare known as family cases holding one-half dozen "or a dozen bottles of their product.

If one-half dozen bottles are to be packed, the same are arranged in a single layer and the vertical dimension of the container is approximately the same as the diameter of the bottle. If on the 00 other hand it is desired to place more than one The bottles layer of bottles in a container, the bottles may be arranged in two or more layers and allthe advantages ofthe invention he realizedl in cumulativedegree. While themanner of packing now in vogue is'not illustrated, it will be understood 5 that pieces of cushioning material are deposited between the bottles Vas partitions and that the total amount of material so used is very large.

' Referring to the drawing:

V`Figure 1 illustrates a container in which a 10 dozen bottles are packed, said bottles being packed in accordance with the hereinafter-described improved method and with the means provided for practicing said method. 'Theshipping container,which is shown in perspective,-con 15 J rains a dozen bottles which are arranged in two layers of one-half dozen each However, the invention could be equally Well utilized for packing one-half dozen bottles only, in` which case the container would be only one-half as high as 20 the containe'rf shown in Fig.4 1. Moreover, the container in Fig. 1 has flaps turned outwardly to permit a view of the interior of the case and to disclose the bottles therein;

Fig. 2 is anelevational sectional view taken on 25 the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 may be considered together, Fig. 3 being an elevational sectional view of a bottle having a packing member at the cap-end as Well as at the bottom-end, and Fig. 4 being a per- 30L spective view of the member which is placed on the endsof the bottle in Fig. 3, it being further understood that the packing member as shown in Fig. 4 is applicable to the bottoms of any of the 'bottles hereinbeforeor hereinafter' described or $5 illustrated. v 1

' Referring now more particularly toA the'drawing, the invention illustrated in connection with a container 20-comprises a bottom 2|, side walls. 22, en-dA walls `23, and bendable flaps 24-24 and 40 25--25 at the top thereof. As heretofore suggested this casing or container in Fig. 1 is adapted to receive twelve bottles of two rows of six each. For purposes of the present illustration only, these containers Aaredescribed as filled ,with` 45 bottles of the beverage, and particularly ofthe ginger* ale type 2.6,j which bottles are provided with the'usualremovablecrown cap 2T.

The improved method of packing the bottles 26 in the container 20 comprises placing a pack-'50 ing or cushioning member 28 'about the cap portionofthe bottle.l TheV said members 28 `are formed with an opening 'centrally thereof so that they may. be placed over the cap portion of lthe home'. Because of the slight binge' 21a found in 55 bottles of this typeamd in fact in almost all ofV such articles,-the member 28 after beingiorced down over the cap will be thereby rigidly held in place by said bulge 21a.

After the cap members are placed upon the bot- .o

2 y tles, the next step is toV arrange the said bottles thus equipped in the shipping container, and this is done by arranging said bottles in layers. and the bottles alternately reversed end for end. Sucha method -of packing results in the packing members or rings separating the Vbottles from contact with each other by Aproviding cushioning mem-Q bers as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2.v The container itself is usually of corrugated board so that said disposition of the bottles having the; improved packing caps thereupon results in a compact tightly-held set of vsix bottles in a container,

and when, tightly held in a closed container, bottles thus equipped are substantially positivelys .protected from breakage, irrespective of the roughness in handling. The bottlesfthemselves are held out of contact so that the only point of direct contact V1s at the vcushioning e members which are so formed that all ofthe shock is absorbed.

- n 1t is desired to pook tweivebot'ties-injo oon-` t'ainer thev method illustrated' by Figuresl and 2 is employed-in which latter gures it will be' ob` served that the caps not onlyprevent direct cont tact between theadiacent-bottles of `the same row but at the" samey time `betv'vee'n bottles disposed above and below each other.;

, Theamount ormeteriel saved through vthis sonl e vaneed method of packing and the means there#v for is astonishing." In the ilrst place,` thefmate- 'rial used in the old partition method'of packing is, of course, no longer neces'saryandat the same time' agreatly increased Vei'ilcien'cyof packing is l obtained through the use of the, large aree oeps.

Again, the elimination of the partitionvmethod of Y packing permits the use of a container of. slightly of great advantage;

Fig. 3 lillustrates va bottle towhich isapplied a i cap as shown in Fig. 4. Such a'cap, as indicated,` consists of a structure inwhich a central bottletop receiving portion is formed, which latter-por;

"tion dennen by Cutting the material at vthe ccnl-iY ter in ster-door fesmon. e This typ oroushion memberis of advantage inthat the same maybe supplied to thev bottler in large quantities.` If de-. sired, the member may be placedon the top of the bottle by forcing it down over-the vneckas shown, during' which forcing the fstai-Qcuttingv opens to form a neck vencircling part. If it is de'- sired toeuse one of the same members on thebotl tom of thevrbottle the member 28 may be v.applied `to the bottom `ofthe bott1e', ,the stergeottmgtnen It should kbe understood, lhofvveve'r,thatv mein--V bers such as shown -in -Fig. 4, butwithoutthe cen-V tra] starcutting or perforation, may be supplied for use for the bottomsonly of bottles."

`Advertising mex be printed on the inside of the cap shown in Figs. 3 -and 4 as well fas,v 'uponjf the outside thereof; so that it is Aobservable whether thebottom end.

said cap is used atthe lcapend of the bottle orat- 1.1-A cushioning device' forerfsoeietioo wxtn'oot;

` 4. ,A cushioningdeviceffo 'man desired.

f The :packing methodand means illustrated contemplate the provision of individual packing members applicable to individual bottles, it being possible and probably sometimes most practicable to apply such packing membertothe bottles be- 5 f fore the latter are placed in the containerspthepacking members being of such character as to be very quickly and inexpensively manufactured,

4andeasily and ordinarily appliedto the bottles to ,bepacked` ,f

ing frangible bottlesfor containers of other shapes, l5

and it is intended nereagte'rappended claims shall' cover the packing'rnembers irrespective of the shape or `diiriensions[to which the saniemaybeapplied." n

`While there hasfbeen abovet described a pluralityjof packing jmeans together with several methodsof utilizingidme'ansin packing. it is to be Vunderstood thatpsuchdiscussiongis forv illustration only,` and that no` of limitation .used herein are intended to import into this specification any restrictive or'nar'rowing features, it be-V ing desired thatmtlie invention be limited `only by thescope of the .appended claims and theLprior art.VA

. .I,claim:

tles to be packed in containerscomprising fa mem-f beradapted to be with either endk ofla bottle to ycushion said bottle from one placed im-j mediately 'adjacent @thereto inxa containerfesaid 3.5 member having concentric for the` respective bottle ends, said member when applied being i substantially hush with .the lrespective-lottle. end.

. 2. A cushioning device (for a bottle comprising a ring member providedrwithan opening therein for fitting over the cap :end of a bottle, and a. seat furthe oppositeend ofsaid bottle. v o Y -e 3. A cushioning device for-bottles compliin a member having a seat `therein, yfor the ,bottom end of "a bottle: and a central; opening denned therein permittingi said memberv4 to.. be placed either at the capend orethe bottom endof abottle.asdesired.- V-

y bottles comprising a membershaving a seat therein for-the bottom end of' a, bottle and a rcentran openlngg-deilned thereinby star cuts permitting; said `memberto be fastenedL over the Acap end of a bottleby the opening of thesaidstar cuts, or Atebeo-placed at the bottom end oi said bottle without'l such open- ,v `5. A cushioningdeviceqfor abottle-havinga largeV diameter bottomend and a small diameter topr end, V,eo'inprising a `s,horttcylindrical ,member of cushioning ofrsubstantially the same diameter as the bottomenduit` saidy bottle and Y having a concentric seai;,`the1'eir'rtol snugly ern-v breee the smul edd whereby tnediso does not exf tend materially the-endo! the bottleg 'Y 6. "A,ocushioning.device'for a bottlefhavin'g a e large Vdiameter, betteln end end `a .diameter Y top'T end. comprising,l a member of -cush' ioning material 'arranged to snugly` receive` the bottom end of said bottle and -zhavinga concentric seat to. receive the small end.V l

JQHN L FERGUSON. 

